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Russia Cancels Tsunami Alert After 7.0 Earthquake Hits Kuril Islands, Kamchatka’s Krasheninnikov Volcano Erupts After 600 Years
Russia’s Ministry for Emergency Services has officially lifted a tsunami warning for the Kamchatka Peninsula after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck near the Kuril Islands on Sunday. Though initial alerts prompted residents to move away from the coastline, authorities confirmed that wave heights were minimal and posed no immediate threat. However, in a stunning geological development, the Krasheninnikov Volcano, located in Kamchatka, erupted for the first time in 600 years. According to Russia’s RIA state news agency and volcanologists, the long-dormant volcano’s eruption could be linked to the recent seismic activity that has rattled Russia’s Far East.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) also reported no significant tsunami risk following the earthquake, which was registered at a magnitude of 7.0 by both the PTWC and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
“This is the first historically confirmed eruption of Krasheninnikov Volcano in 600 years,” said Olga Girina, head of the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT). The last known lava flow from Krasheninnikov occurred sometime around 1463.
The eruption produced an ash plume rising up to 6,000 meters (3.7 miles), which has been drifting eastward toward the Pacific Ocean. Fortunately, officials confirmed that no populated areas lie in the ash cloud’s path, mitigating immediate risks to local communities.
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An orange aviation code has been issued for the eruption, signaling a heightened risk to aircraft flying in the region. The Krasheninnikov Volcano, which stands at 1,856 meters (6,089 feet), had shown no significant activity in recent centuries, making this eruption a rare and closely monitored event.
These dual natural events—the earthquake and the Russian volcanic eruption—come just days after a powerful quake in Russia’s Far East that sparked tsunami warnings extending as far as French Polynesia and Chile. In the aftermath of last week’s tremor, the Klyuchevskoy Volcano, Kamchatka’s most active volcano, also erupted, signaling a notable uptick in tectonic and volcanic activity in the Pacific Ring of Fire.
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Russian seismologists had already issued warnings about potential aftershocks and volcanic responses in the region following the major quake. The Kuril Islands, a seismically active chain stretching from Kamchatka to Japan, remain under close surveillance as scientists caution that strong aftershocks are likely in the coming weeks.
Despite the dramatic geological events in Russia, including this dormant volcano eruption, no casualties or significant damage have been reported. Emergency services continue to monitor the situation, while aviation authorities are advising flights to reroute to avoid ash clouds.
